


The Adviser and the Prince

by martiie



Series: Of Fire and Ice [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Asgard, Asgardian Magic, Canon Compliant, Character Development, Childhood Friends, F/M, Magic, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2015-06-17
Packaged: 2018-04-01 12:09:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4019215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/martiie/pseuds/martiie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rowan is the daughter of Odin's first adviser and fully expects to take her father's role as Thor's adviser as soon as he ascends the Asgardian throne. Completely infatuated with the younger prince Loki, she wants nothing more than the King's blessing so they can marry. Thor's banishment first comes as devastating news until Rowan starts regretfully realizing it might just be the best thing that has ever happened.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Wow so this is my first (and probably only) Marvel fanfic! I hope you guys found it okay :)

She laid on the golden couch, looking at the fire in the middle of the room, tears falling down her pale cheeks. Her heart wasn't broken, it was crushed beyond repair. Not too long ago she had been on the top the universe, happy, feeling that nothing in the world could ruin her life. How could she expect that her short-lived happiness would end like this of all ways?

 

Rowan was known all throughout Asgard for her beautiful flaming red hair. Daughter of Berg, Odin's first adviser, she grew up in the palace. Her father had brought her to the palace when she was just a baby and raised her himself. She didn't know anything about her mother, not her name, not how she looked like or what realm she lived in. To Asgradians, the only parent that mattered was their Asguardian parent. 

Although she grew up with Thor, the art of war never interested her. Docile and gentle, she was much more fascinated by the nine realms and learning about them. Her curiosity knew no bounds, especially when it came to magic. Well spoken and soft, her father always thought she had the perfect qualities of a princess and of a future queen. He hoped that due to his close friendship with Odin, that might be one day possible. But no matter how handsome and how many amazing qualities Thor possessed, the last thing that Rowan wanted was to share her life with him. He had always been her best friends but he was too arrogant and craved chaos. Rowan dreamed of a quiet life, spending eternity with a man she would love, a man who would be passive and calm. As a child she spent her days playing with Thor and Sif. The girls had a bumpy relationship as they always tried to best each other to impress Thor and finally decided that they couldn't be friends after Sif decided she wanted to be a warrior, something Rowan and her other friends never understood. After all ladies don't fight with swords and get dirty all day long. 

She was just a child when Thor's baby brother arrived. She remembered everything perfectly, how she along with Thor and Sif would spend hours staring into his crib wondering when he would be old enough to play with them. When Loki could finally walk, talk and understand what was going on around him Thor and Sif became interested with playing with wooden swords and imagining battles. Rowan despised that game so she would pull the younger Loki aside and would read him stories or talk about other realms and other information she was proud to share. As they grew older, both developed a passion for magic, Loki proving to be a natural at it. His mother Frigga was more than happy to share and teach them what she knew and they both absorbed it all, Loki faster than Rowan. Suddenly the roles switched and he began teaching her. He also started using his abilities for tricks. This often amused Rowan who saw Loki's jokes as a way for a child to have fun. It was only after Rowan's century long trip throughout the universe that she stopped seeing him as Thor's little brother. When she returned, he had grown up. He was taller than her, suddenly handsome and didn't look like younger than her anymore. Although she maintained a close relationship with Thor, his love for war and battle pushed her to create a strong bond with Loki. The older they became, people started talking. The heir should take a bride soon and the palace residents thought that Rowan should be his first choice. Little did they know, she only had eyes for the younger prince.

 

Rowan loved reading in the garden late at night. It was quiet and peaceful and wasn't interrupted every minute by someone. She knew her father didn't like it when she was up too late but the latest spell book she found was so interesting she couldn't put it down. It was only when she heard a noise that she was able to take her nose out of it. Careful to be quiet, she rose from her seat and looked around. Around the corner she saw Loki, who looked stressed.

"What are you doing up so late?" She asked him, relieved. She had heard many scary stories about other races living across the universe, and nothing scared her more than Frost Giants living in Jotunheim who craved revenge on the Asgardians. 

"I couldn't sleep so I thought I could use some fresh air." Being the God of Mischief and Lies, Loki had lied countless times in his life but he never thought he would have to hide the truth from his childhood friend. But he couldn't reveal his plan to sabotage his brother's ceremony either. So he smiled and looked around, wondering if anyone else was still up.

"Are you nervous for tomorrow?"

"Why would I be nervous? I'm not the one who's going to be crowned tomorrow." Loki wished he answered with less aggression. Rowan was gentle and kind and didn't react well to hostility. It was one of the things he loved about her. But the girl held her own. Loki was the only person who didn't fright her because she knew he was the last person who would ever hurt her. They started walking through the gardens in complete silence, with the exception of their footsteps. They appeared to be completely alone, a rather rare occasion here at court.

"I know but things will change nonetheless. You will be the king's brother and you know Thor trusts you the most. You'll have great influence over him." 

"You're a bit naive to think that way. Thor only listens to himself, even our father has difficulty getting through him."

"Give it time Loki." Rowan smiled "Your brother is impulsive but once he takes the throne, I do believe he will change."

"Do you plan on taking over your father eventually and advising Thor yourself?" 

"I do." Rowan smiled even more brightly. "My father will want to stay as his adviser for the first few decades but I do plan on taking his role when he is ready to retire."

"I heard that your father wishes you had a different role." Loki commented bitterly. Ever since she had come back from her trip, something between them changed. He started to develop deeper feelings towards her, started to crave more alone time with her. He had never been more thankful that they shared magic, that it was something that bound them, just them. He often thought about the night of her first banquet was a lady of the court. She had asked him to accompany her, not Thor like everyone believed she would. He remembered kissing her for the first time when they were all alone. But he was a prince. And if they were to spend the rest of their immortal lives together, she would have to become a part of the royal family. 

"You know very well I don't want to become Thor's queen." Rowan said firmly. "I will not marry him."

Rowan had to keep her relationship with Loki secret as to not aggravate her father who had always tried to push her towards Thor. She was scared he would take the matter to Odin who would make her marry Thor as a favour to his closest friend and ally. 

Loki smiled softly and leaned towards Rowan. He softly brushed his lips against hers, waiting for her to respond. As soon as she put her hand behind his head, he pulled her into his embrace and deepened the kiss. Rowan smiled as she pulled away, still in Loki's arms. She ran her hand across his cheek, appreciating his cool skin against her warm hand.

"I was wondering when you would kiss me again." She whispered, staring at his lips.

"It's not easy to get you alone. It's a rather rare event to have the gardens so empty."

They exchanged a couple of more kisses, taking full advantage of the gardens being empty before deciding it was very late and they needed to be somewhat rested for tomorrow. They headed back to Rowan's bench and book, her arm linked with his, as they would one day when they would be promised to each other.

"So I suppose we should both head back to the palace. Separately."

"I'll stay here a bit longer. I'm trying to practice this invisibility spell and while I can make other things invisible, it doesn't seem to work on me."

"Like this?" Loki smirked before making himself invisible before the redhead. 

"You're not very kind!" Rowan complained with a hint of a smile "Stop showing off I know you're better at magic than I am." He finally reappeared in front of her. "Good night Loki. And for tomorrow... I know it's Thor that's getting crowned and it might be earlier than either of us thought but... I think you would have made a great king."

Loki smiled sadly at his beloved and gave her a kiss on her cheek. He turned away and started walking towards the palace as a huge grin broke across his face. He was the only one who knew what exactly was going to go down tomorrow. By the end of tomorrow, Thor was not going to become king. He had made sure of it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for tuning in for chapter 2 :)  
> My story involves a lot of canon dialogue which I take no credit for.

Servants were running all over the place, making last minutes arrangements. The scent of the feast to come spread throughout the whole palace and it seemed the cooks truly outdid themselves. Which was to be expected. Today the throne would be passed down for the first time in thousands of years. Rowan entered the throne room with her father. Most of the court was already assembled and it was with great pride that she walked down the aisle and stopped at the empty throne. She walked up a few steps and stopped one beneath her father. Sif and the Warrior Three, Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg were already standing at the opposite side. They were four of Thor's most trusted fighters, his closest friends after Loki and herself. She glanced at what Sif was wearing and smirked. She never understood why a lady would rather wear armour than dresses. She almost pitied her. After all here Sif was in her ugly armour while Rowan had the prettiest dress in Asgard. She had it made for Thor's coronation, made from the finest fabric in the nine realms, a cream coloured dress that only accentuated her red hair. She looked like a true goddess, just like those from Midgard's legends.

They all awaited the royal family calmly and patiently. Finally Loki entered with the Queen by his sides. As they passed by everyone bowed their head in respect. Finally when they got to her, Rowan followed protocol and bowed but quickly looked up to lock eyes with Loki. He was very handsome in his formal wear. She loved when he wore green, no colour complemented him as much. He shot her a quick smile, one she reciprocated. He stood between his mother and her father and the distance annoyed her. She was a grown woman. She should be by her prince and not her father like a little girl. Before she got too frustrated about it, the Allfather, Odin walked in. Everyone got on one knee, except for his wife and youngest son. She kept her eyes trained on the floor and couldn't help but wonder if she would have to do much kneeling to Thor once he was king. When she heard that Odin finally sat down, they all stood up, Rowan's father assisting her, much to the redhead's displeasure.

Now that everyone was assembled Rowan expected Thor to come in any second now. She was excited to see him, excited to see the boy she grew up with finally sit on the throne. But Thor was nowhere to be seem and she wasn't the only one to realize it. Fandral started to whisper something to Volstagg, Sif started to shift her weight from one foot to another and Rowan slightly broke rank and took a look behind her to glace at Loki.

"Where is he?" She whispered to him. The prince shook his head before looking at his father. Odin did not look pleased at all and every moment that passed, Rowan felt him grow more irritated. 

"Do you know when your brother will be joining us?" Fandral asked Loki, a hint of annoyance in his otherwise cheery voice. Everyone was getting more impatient for the ceremony to begin.

"He said he would be coming soon." Loki responded, trying to keep his voice as neutral as possible. If it was he who was being crowned today, he wouldn't have made everyone wait this long. Thor had seem nervous before but there were certain limits. Maybe he was having seconds thoughts, Loki thought for a second before shacking the idea out of this head. He should know better than to have such foolish hope.

"You do realize what he's doing?" Sif asked, smirking. "He wants to make an entrance and impress everyone."

"Well he better show up soon. The Allfather looks like he might change his mind with this coronation." Volstagg answered

"I doubt that." Loki answered "Father always forgives him."

Rowan quickly glimpsed at the current king. Volstagg was right, it seemed that any moment Odin was about to get up and cancel everything. The redhead bit her lips. She hoped that Sif wasn't right, that Thor wouldn't make a huge spectacle and come in and accept the throne in dignity and grace. She absolutely needed Thor to become king for his sake and hers. She was convinced if they only asked, Thor would make her a part of the royal family and she would be suitable to marry Loki. 

The room was silent except for whispers until Thor came in. He lifted his hammer, the mighty Mjollnir and people exploded in cheers. Thor made his way towards the throne fairly slow, clearly relishing in the applause and love. He was twirling his hammer, laughing and Rowan smiled with relief. This was expected of Thor, who knew nothing of humility and restraint. As long as he didn't start flying around and summoning lightning, the Allfather should let his tardiness slide. 

When Thor finally arrived in front of the throne he kneels on one knee before his father, probably the last time. He shots a look to his friends on his right, a smile to her and a wink to his mother. Rowan smiles back barely containing her excitement.

The ceremony begins. Odin gets up, looking almighty in his ceremonial armour and starts his speech. He talks of Thor and his many qualities and describes how a king should act and his responsibilities, some last minute counsel but it seems that Thor is too ecstatic to be taking in the meaning completely.

"Thor Odinson" The king took pause before continuing "Do you swear to guard the Nine Realms?"

"I swear" Thor responded, excitement all too clear in his voice

"Do you swear to preserve the peace?"

"I swear" He answered a bit more loudly as Rowan smiled. Thor craved conflicted, this was probably going to be his biggest challenge.

"Do you swear to cast all selfish ambition and pledge yourself only for the good to the Realm?"

"I swear!" Thor cheered as he lifted his hammer, anticipation clearly taking over him as his moment was finally arriving.

"Then on this day, I, Odin Allfather, proclaim you..." Odin stopped dead in his sentence. Rowan couldn't help but look back. Was he hesitating? He seemed to be thinking about something and Rowan was confused. Had he forgotten something? She quickly glanced at Loki who seemed as confused as she was and then at Thor. The heir kept his smile but she could tell it was forced and he was beginning to worry. "Frost giants..."

Rowan immediately felt her knees weaken. There was nothing that scared her more than Jotuns. Odin seemed to take immediate action as he hit his staff, Gungnir, activating some magic. She heard the Warriors Three and Sif take out their weapons as they bolted after Thor who was running out of the room. Loki set right after them, but not before he cast Rowan a glance. She looked absolutely shaken up, terrified.

"Don't worry" He whispered "Nothing will happen to you."

"Be careful." Loki nodded, wishing he could comfort his loved one more effectively and left the throne room. The room erupted in panicked whispers. Odin, contrarily to everyone, seemed completely calm as he rose his hand to silence the room.

"Everyone remain calm. You are in no danger." He slowly walked down the steps and stopped in front of his queen. "They were in the Vault. Everything has been taken care of." He then turned to Rowan's father. "Get the guards to empty the room. The feast is cancelled, the ceremony is done."

"Yes sir."

Odin left the room as well. Her father started barking orders to the guard as Rowan tried calming herself down. If the Allfather claimed the danger has passed, she must believe him. She would have to wait until she saw Loki again to know what happened. She looked at Frigga who came to her smiling, 

"Don't worry child. My sons and husband will take care of whatever danger we could be in. We're safe in their hands."

"The Allfather cancelled the feast. What does that mean for Thor?"

"I suppose that depends on Thor and whenever my husband decides that he can handle the problem as a leader should." She answered, taking a lock of Rowan's red hair and brushing it away from her face "It is a shame about the feast. You look absolutely radiant in that dress Rowan."

"Thank you so much my queen." Rowan smiled as she curtsied. 

The queen walked away from the almost empty room. Rowan took it as her cue to leave as well, heading towards where to feast would have been held, trying to find a familiar face. She was quick to spot Thor's closest companions a few halls from the banquet hall but Thor and Loki were not in their company.

"Have you learned what happened?" Rowan wasted no time asking questions as soon as she was close enough "Are we under attack? What happened with the frost giants?"

"No need to fear Lady Rowan" Fandral answered with a charming smile "The Jotuns who dared attacked us are dead."

"They were after the casket" Hogun added "The Destroyer took care of them before anyone could arrive."

"The casket? The casket in the Vault?" Many centuries ago, the Jotun were much more powerful and posed a real threat to the Asgadians until they lost the war and Odin took the source of their powers, the Casket of Ancient Winters. Rowan was only a little girl when the war ended but she remembered the fear all too well. And if the Jotuns were to ever regain that power, she was scared of their vengeance. "And what is Thor is going to do about it?"

"Thor was arguing about the course of action with his father right before the Allfather ordered us to leave." Sif responded "Thor thinks that Asgard should march on Jotunheim. Odin thinks it was this was a separate attack, taken but a few and trusts in his alliance with Laufey."

"And who gets to decide what Asgard does?" Rowan asked "Thor was supposed to become king today but Odin still hasn't pronounced him ruler. If he..." Frigga's words came back to her. Odin still had all the power, Odin could chose not to finalize the ceremony. Neither the Warriors Three nor Sif answered her. The decision could go either way, Thor had been one word away from being king. Could Odin really take this away from him? 

A loud noise resonated throughout the hall. Rowan felt her heart beating faster. Another attack? The four warriors around her took out their weapons immediately.

"It sounded like it came from the banquet hall." Sif declared. They started running towards it, Rowan a bit behind them. When they finally arrived, the hall seemed like a mess. The table was flipped and all of its contents were all over the floor. The room seemed to be empty but for Thor and Loki, sitting on the steps, whispering something to each other. 

"What's this?" As it was expected, Volstagg's immediate concern was all the food that had been wasted.

Rowan couldn't care less about the table. She was observing both brothers from across the room. Loki seemed calm and collected, his natural self. But it had been obvious what had happened in the Vault. Thor was clearly fuming which meant he was not going to become king anytime soon.

"Well that's a mature way to handle things." Sif said under her breath

"It's a shame about the feast, I was looking forward to it..." Fandrall complained

"What do you expect, three guards died on duty today." Sif reminded him

"Not to mention it seems Thor isn't going to be rule Asgard, not for a while." Rowan added

The group turned to look at the princes who seemed to be fighting.

"Thor it's madness!"

"What's madness?" Volstagg asked, taking food from the ground

Thor looked up to his companions and smiled. Rowan had a feeling this could not be anything good.

"We are going to Johunheim."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading chapter three :)  
> Contains canon dialogue which I take no credit

"Are you completely insane?" Rowan asked, completely horrified that Thor has suggested going to Jotunheim.

"Of course not, Thor was only joking around." Loki replied before Thor could

"You think the safety of this real is a joking matter?" Thor asked his brother solemnly which was a bit out of character "We have to go."

"Thor, we can't" Fandral responded

"Out of all the laws of Asgard, this one you cannot break!" Sif reminded him

"This isn't a journey to Midgard" Fandral added "Where you summon a little lighting and they all worship you as a God. This is Jotenheim."

"And if the frost giants don't kill you, your father will." Volstagg said, joining in the conversation after swallowing whatever he was eating

Rowan glanced at Loki to see how he was reacting to all of this. He kept his eyes fixed on Thor, his face unreadable to Rowan. She was waiting for him to say something, to keep trying to discourage Thor from his foolish idea. She looked at Thor and his friends. She could tell he was convincing them. It didn't surprise Rowan that they would eventually give in, they always did for Thor. There was no convincing Thor out of an idea, especially when he started getting worked up on it. The only one who could change his idea was Loki but he seemed silent on the matter.

"Are you really going to let my brother and me take all the glory?"

"What?" 

Everyone turned their heads toward Loki who seemed startled for a second before regaining composure.

"You are coming with me, aren't you brother?" Thor asked, an uneasy look on his face. 

Loki simply smiled and put his hand on his brother shoulder.

"Of course I'm coming. I wouldn't let my brother march into Jotenheim alone. I will be by your side."

"And I." Volstagg swore and soon after the three other warriors resolved into following their friend.

"So it's going to be the six of you against all of Jotenheim?" Rowan asked. She couldn't believe they were actually planning on going there. Not only was it against the law but it was so dangerous and she couldn't see how any of them were counting on coming back alive. "You might as well take your swords and spears and pierce your own hearts right now as I guarantee you it will have the same result."

Thor smiled and came up to his childhood friend. Rowan couldn't comprehend how could he be so calm and collected. Surely he knew this could not end well.

"You worry too much lady Rowan." She glared at him for that. While yes, she was a lady of the court but Thor had a habit of using her title in a condescending way. "We are merely going to Jotenheim to get some answers. Frost Giant snuck into our palace and we must confront Laufey if he is behind this. I have no intentions of going to war... not today at least."

This calmed Rowan down for a moment before realizing that Thor would not remain civil while talking to Laufey.

"Then I'm coming with you."

There was a moment of silence before Thor burst out laughing.

"You want to come to Jotenheim? Rowan, you're terrified of Frost Giants."

"I know that." Rowan responded, her chin held high "But I'm the only one here who knows anything about diplomacy. So you might need me when you're talking to Laufey. I'm to be your adviser when you become king am I not? You're going to need my help to reach an understanding with Laufey. And I know politics is not exactly your strong suit."

"The lady raises a fair point. Alright, if you're sure you're not scared enough, you can accompany us to give me counsel."

"You're not serious!" Loki blurred out, walking towards Rowan and Thor. He had been sure that Thor would turn her down, she could not come with them and be caught in this plot. "It's far too dangerous, you can't-"

"Enough Loki. I've already decided. She's right, I might need her advice." Turning to everyone he added "We must all get ready for our journey. We shall meet in one hour in the palace courtyard."

Rowan was about to leave towards her chambers when Loki stopped her. He waited until everyone else left the room, everyone too focused on their task to notice the stragglers. 

"Are you out of your mind?" Loki asked her whispering "You know what danger you just put yourself into?"

"I know what I'm doing. Do you think I'm going to leave this in Thor's hands and those other four? If I did we will wake up tomorrow to another war with the Jotuns."

"And you think you can prevent it?"

"I can at least try. Thor said he's not seeking for war and I indent to make him keep his word."

"It's still dangerous." Loki wasn't counting on them actually arriving to Jotenheim, he had plans to alert a guard before they would leave. But he didn't want to involve Rowan in this, he didn't want her in trouble because of him.

"It's dangerous for all of us." Rowan couldn't help but smile. She secretly loved that he was so worried about her, so protective. She couldn't help but think that no harm could ever come to her, not as long as Loki was by her side.

"Yes but you're most vulnerable. Thor and the others can fight, I have magic-"

"I have magic too!" Rowan interrupted him, offended

"Yes but I have magic and I can fight to protect myself. Not as well as the other but I have tricks to compensate. Besides you're-"

"Besides nothing. This is a diplomatic mission, we are not going to go there to fight. I must go now and change. I can't march into Jotenheim in this dress."

Rowan was about to walk away when Loki grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her in. When she was close enough he kissed her and for a few moments Rowan lost herself in him before pulling away.

"That was risky" She said under her breath

"But worth it." He replied, making Rowan smile. He had wanted to kiss her the moment he saw her in that dress.

 

"I need you to prepare my horse, I'm going riding." Rowan commanded to one of her servants as soon as she entered her apartment chamber. "I'm also going to need to change into something more practical. And warm. Oh and get me my warmest cloak too." She said to another.  
Rowan was about to look into the private dining room for something to snack on when her father entered the room.

"Oh Rowan, good you're here. I need to talk to you. Can you dine with me this evening, there is much to discuss."

"I'm going out in less than an hour. Thor needs some cheering up so we're going riding."

"Alone?" Her father asked hopefully which irritated the girl.

"Not alone." She answered with patience.

"Thor is exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. It might be a good thing that he wasn't named king after all."

"Oh is it?" Rowan asked, already dreading where he was going with this.

"I've been thinking for a while to try and convince Odin to arrange a marriage between you and Thor. And ever since he started planning on giving his throne I decided to abandon the plan but now-"

"I will not marry Thor."

"But Rowan you would be queen. Don't you want that power?" 

Rowan didn't immediately reply. Of course she wouldn't mind being queen, who would? But not if that meant being Thor's queen. As much as she liked her friend she couldn't imagine tying her life to his. He was tolerable but in small doses. She found him too vain, too arrogant and too loud. The fact that Loki was neither of these things was what first drew her to Thor's younger brother. 

"I will have power, I'm going to be Thor's adviser!" 

"I know but you can-"

"I'm sorry father but I have to excuse myself. I'm to meet my friends in the courtyard soon and I still have to change."

Her father nodded and Rowan escaped to her chambers frustrated. If only Thor had been crowned today she would not be having this problem.

 

Rowan was last to arrive at the courtyard. The others were getting dressed in their armour and getting their weapons ready when Rowan saw the servants preparing her horse to be ridden. It was a white beautiful mare, a gift by the royal family when she was first presented to the court. She was about to mount her when she was interrupted by Loki.

"Hold on Rowan, you'll need to arm yourself."

"You know full as I do I don't know the first thing about fighting. Besides like we discussed before this is-"

"Yes I know, this is a diplomatic visit but it doesn't mean it can't go bad, which is why I'm insisting you arm yourself. Hold on a minute." He took a sword belt and fasted it around her hips, beneath her fur cloak. Rowan's heart sped up a bit, embarrassed being so close to him so publicly. He quickly took a step back and showed her a relatively small sword. 

"I don't know how to use it" Rowan reminded him before he said anything.

"Just take it and swing it a couple of times."

Rowan complied. It was lighter than she excepted it to be. She swung it a few times trying to replicated from memory a few simple manoeuvres she saw Sif do.

"And what am I supposed to do with this? I don't know how to fight, by the time a-"

"You said before you have magic. Use it. If I remember correctly you're capable of immobilizing someone."

"Only for a few seconds!"

"That will be enough time to pierce the giant right through-"

"No!" Rowan exclaimed loudly, dropping the sword as if it had just burned her. "I can't do that! It's just to..."

Loki knew that Rowan was very passive and very peaceful. She hated swords fights, she hated fights, she hated chaos. He hoped to scare her out of coming along and it seemed his plan was working.

"Careful it's not a toy." He reminded her harshly, picking up the sword. "Rowan you can't go into enemy territory without being able to protect yourself. No matter how noble our intentions are, if it was Laufey who send those Jotuns that attacked today we are going to be in trouble. And as much as I will try to, you can't count that I'll be able protect you. Battles are... messy and unpredictable." He slid the sword into the case attached to her hips. He looked down and stared into her eyes, trying to appear as menacing as he could with being outright cruel to her. But the girl just nodded. "Take these too." He added, showing her two daggers before attaching them to her new belt as well. She was about to walk away and mount her horse when Loki stopped her a second time. "Just stay close to me at all times. I won't let them hurt you." Seeing that nothing will change her mind he smiled to her.

"Thank you." Rowan smiled back, discreetly taking his hand and squeezing it, grateful for his protectiveness. 

"I'll be right back, I just have one last thing to do before we leave." 

Rowan mounted her beautiful mare. She was starting her regret that she wasn't actually going riding around Asgard, it was such a beautiful day for it. A nice quiet ride would be time better spend than on Jotenheim. Not to mention she would have to face Frost Giants, monsters that had plagued her nightmares ever since she was a child. But her fear was second to her curiosity. She had travelled the realms with her father for over a century and she went everywhere except for Midgard and Jotenheim. The law forbade going to Jotenheim and this could be her only chance to see the frozen realm and fields of snow. She was aware of how foolish and dangerous this was. But her best chance of going there and coming back alive was with Thor and his friends.

"We will have to find a way to get past Heimdall." Thor said, jumping on his horse.

"That will not be an easy task." Volstagg commented

"Not impossible." Rowan added "We just need to... find an angle on how to approach him."

Rowan looked around for Loki. Where had he disappeared to? They were about to leave so she was about to go look for him when he reappeared and quickly mounted his brown horse. He was smiling and seemed pleased as if this whole expedition was his idea. If Rowan didn't know better she'd think he actually wanted to go to Jotenheim. She could understand why Thor was excited to go, he lived for adventures but for Loki it appeared a bit out of character.

"We move out!" Thor exclaimed and they all set out on their journey.


End file.
